Evidence of meeting #23 for Status of Women in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was meetings.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
I think the question is, how many meetings do we want to have? If we want to wrap this issue up before this session, do we want to try to find three meetings, two meetings...?
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
We were suggesting two or three meetings. We weren't looking for a whole raft of things.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Maybe we should have two meetings, from 3:30 to 6:30, and we'll encompass whatever groups we can within the confines of those two meetings, on the Tuesday night and the Wednesday night.
Conservative
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
We have a problem with November 22. Two of our members cannot make it, so whatever night that is--
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
If we have two meetings, we also have the 29th, which is a third meeting. So we have three extra meetings between now and December.
My concern is that our mandate is to have an interim report or a report by December on human trafficking, and then we're going to spend all of January until the spring on the socio-economic issues. We have more time, then, to schedule these meetings and do a really good job and get adequate witnesses.
I did want to add Samantha Smythe to the list. I don't have the name of her association here--I just didn't bring it with me--but I'd like to add her. She is with a group that is funded by Status of Women and she's in human trafficking, so that sort of ties in.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Good. Can you forward that also by e-mail, Ms. Smith? We now have that into the record, but if you could just back it up as well....
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
But my question is, what can we do to make sure that we don't let our report languish? What can we do so that we don't let this languish? It's very important. I don't want members opposite to think we're trying to not do it. We agreed and passed a motion last time. I'm just wondering if we could maybe do it in January or--
Liberal
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
I'm just trying to be practical. Maybe we could have one meeting now and two in January.
Conservative
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
If I could just finish my sentences, then we could continue on in an orderly manner.
What I'm trying to do is look at it very practically. We have a huge and very important agenda, and we said at the beginning of our work agenda that what we wanted to do was complete something and then go on to the other. Then we passed a motion and agreed that we wanted to have these extra meetings.
So I think we could have maybe one or two before December, and then one in January, just to take the pressure off, because the MPs, all of us, have so many other obligations, and I don't want anyone on any side of the House to be spread too thinly. That's the only thing.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
I have committee meetings on Tuesdays, too, right from our meeting in the morning. I quit with committee meetings at 8:30 at night, so Tuesdays are out for me as well.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
I just realized, Madam Chair, that I will not be in Ottawa on November 22 and 29. I will be here in the morning but not in the afternoon.